Journal box



March 19, 1929. as. BARROWS JOURNAL BOX Filed Sept. 24. 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet March 19, 1929. D. s. BARROWS JOURNAL BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 24. 1920 Qwoewtoz March 19, 1929. o s. BARROWS- JOURNAL BOX Filed Sept. 24. 1920 s Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1,706,098 PATENT OFFICE.

DONALD S. BARROWS, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN MENTS, TO THE SYMINGTON COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

JOURNAL BOX.

Application filed September 24, 1920. Serial No. 412,427.

The invention relates to journal boxes for railway cars, and more particularlyto new and improved means for maintaining the journal box packing in proper position wlth reference to the car axle and ournal bearing.

To this end the principal object of my invention broadly stated, is to provide a simple, strong and reliable device in connection with a journal box for properly positioning the journal box packing.

Another object of the invention is to pro- Vide a retainer for the journal box packing so constructed and arranged as to automatically engage said packing upon the closing of the journal box lid.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a packing retainer for journal boxes adapted to be actuated by the movements of the journal box lid, said retainer being so constructed and arranged as to move in an arcuate path both to and from its normal or retaining position.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a packing retainer for journal boxes which is adapted to be entirely removed from the journal box cavity and out of alinement with the plane of the journal bearing by a movement of the lid.

There are other objects of the invention as will hereinafter more fully appear from the detailed description of the single embodiment of the devicewhich is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure l is a vertical central section of a journal box'and associated lid showing the invention applied thereto and representing in dotted lines the partial'and full open position of the lid and the position assumed by theretaining device when the lid is in either of the three positions illustrated.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation, partly in transverse section, showing the invention, the re-' taining device being in normal or closed position. I,

Fig. 3 is a transverse horizontal sectional view of the journal box and associated parts,

the retaining device being in retaining or normal position.

Fig. 4 is a frontelevation of the retaining member and i Fig. 5 is a sideview of the same.

Throughout the specification and drawing s like parts are designated by like reference characters.

The journal box 1 is provided with the usual form of pivot ears 2 to which the lid 3 is pivotally connected by means of a pintle 1. The end of the axle is designated by the numeral 5, and interposed between the same and the top wall of the journal box is a journal bearing 6 and the usual wedge 7. The lid 3 may be provided with a form of torsion spring 8 illustrated, the said torsion spring comprising a loop member 9, a pair of coiled members 10 and downwardly directed arms 11 which are located beneath the lugs 12 cast or suitably formed upon the inner face of the said lid. The loop member 9 may be provided with a wearing shoe 13, if desired, as indicated in Fig, 1. Since the form of torsion spring mechanism by which the lid is maintained in open and closed position does not form a part of my invention, it will not be necessary to further describe the same. The said lid may also be provided with a locking block 14 which is maintained in looking position by the coiled spring 15. The said locking mechanism forms the subject matter of my Patent No. 1,458,741, granted June 12th, 1923 on my copending application Serial No. 378,- 529, filed May 3, 1920.

Before describing the packing or waste retainer in detail, it might be well to point out that it is he usual and customary practice to provide between the bottom of the journal box and the end of the car axle a suitable packing generally composed of waste which is saturated with a lubricant and tends to keep the entire surface of the journal portion of the axle lubricated. The purpose and object of the waste is two fold. First, to prevent the splashing and leakage of the lubricant placed in the journal box, and second, to feed the lubricant when the same is below the plane of the journal to the journal by means of capillary attraction. There is always a tendency, however, for the journal packing to be forced outwardly from under the end of the said journal, and it sometimes happens that portions of the packing get between the lid and the lip of the journal box, and not only prevent thetight closure of the lid but act on the siphon principle to withdraw the lubricant from the journal box well, and it is to preventthis movement of the packing that I have devised the packing or waste retainer which will now be described.

In the form of the invention here illustrated the retaining device comprises a retaining member or shoe 16 which is provided with a pair 'of arms 17 preferably integrally formed therewith and extending at an angle to the face 18 of the portion 16. Adjacent the juncture of the arms 17 with the'plate or packing member 16 and spaced from the outer faces of the arms 17,1 provide lugs 19. The said lugs and the adjacent portions of the arms 17 are preferably perforated so as to receive a pivot pin 20 each of which serves to connect the inner end of a link 21- to the said retainer 16. The outer ends of the said links are pivotally connected in a suitable manner to the lid 3, as for example, by the' pivot pins 22. The outer ends of the arms 17 are also provided with suitable perforations 23. The journal box lid may be provided adjacent the upper portion thereof with a pair of lugs 24, and to each lug is connected a coil or'torsion spring 25. A convenient way of connecting the torsion springs 25 to the lugs 24 is to provide the said lugs with suitable openings through each of which a portion of the springs 25 is adapted to pass. The short arm 26 of each spring 25 bears against the inner face of the journal box lid 3, and the long arm of each spring which extends downwardly from the coiled portion 28, first extends through the openings 23 provided in the arms 17, then outwardly and then substantially at right angles to the out- ,wardly extending portion so as to lie in a front of the ribs 29 which are provided on the side walls of the journal box. It will be understood that the tendency of the torsion spring 25 is to place the long and short arms thereof in the position shown in Fig. 1 in the full open position of the lid, and it will therefore be obvious that in the position illustrated in full lines the spring 25 Y has been twisted or placed under a torsional strain. 7 v

The operation, of the device is as follows :-Assuming the retaining mechanisn'i to be in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and considering an opening-movement'of the journal box lid, it will be seen that the shoe or member 16 of the retaining device is maintained in position by the engagement of the ends of the springs 25 with the ribs 29, and upon an opening of the journal box lid the pivotal point 22 of the link 21 moves on an arcuate path described about the center of the pintle 4. This outward movement of the pivotal point 22 causes the portion 16 to move upwardly and outwardly on an arcuate path, the spring members 25 moving vertically along the outer faces of the ribs 29. \Vhen the lid has opened to suchan extent that the ends of the springs 25 no longercontact with the ribs 29, the angle between the link 21 and the journal box lid changes and assumes substantially the position shown in the extreme upward position of the lid illustrated in Fig. 1. It will be noted that in this position the waste or packingretainer lies outobserved is always entered from the front face of the journal box. 7

On a closing movement of the lid the outwardly projecting arms of the springs 25 engage the ribs 29 and slide downwardly thereon as the lid approaches its closed position, and this downward movement oft-he arms under the springs 25 causes the face 18 of the retaining member to move in an arcuate path in the journal box well until the same occupies its normal position shown in full lines in Fig. 1. It is to be observed that except for the contact of the ends'of .the arms of the spring 25 with the ribs 29',

the retainer member both in opening andclosing movements of the 11d, is spaced away from the journal box and does not contact the same at any time. 7

Having now described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

1. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivotally connected thereto, of a retaining member adapted to'eng'age the journal box packing, means including a link connecting said retainer to the said lid, and spring actuated means for maintaining said retainer in either of a plurality of positions.

2. The combination with a journal box 1 havinga lid movably connected thereto, of a rigid retaining member adapted to engage a. journal box packing when said lid is in closed position,- means for supporting said retaining member out of contact with the walls of the journal box, and spring means carried by the lid and connected to said retaining-member for moving the latter to inoperative position when the lid is open.

lll') 3. The combination with a journal box'and a pivotally connected lid, of ajour'nal box packing retainer, means pivotally connecting said retainer to said lid, and means for moving said retainer to an inoperative position, said last named means also serving to maintain the retainer in spaced relation to the walls of said journal box.

4. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivotally connected thereto, of aretainer member adapted to engage the journal box packing, said member comprising a plate extending transversely of the journal .box, means including a link'jfor pivotally connecting said member to said lid,

and spring means carried by the lid for maintaining said member in a plurality of positions.

5. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivotally connected thereto, of a retainer member adapted to engage the j ournal box packing, means connecting said retaining member to the said lid, means for Supporting said retainer member out of contact with the walls of the journal box when the lid is closed, and spring actuated means for controlling the movement of said retainer member when the lid is open.

6. The combination with a journal box having a movable lid, journal box packing retaining means, means pivotally connecting said retaining means and lid, and means supporting said retaining means in spaced relation to the walls of said journal box, said means acting to move said retaining means away from the journal box packing and maintain said retaining means against pivotal movement with respect to said lid when the latter is in full open position.

7. The combination with a journal box having a lid movably connected thereto, of a rigid journal box packing retainer, means pivotally connecting said retainer to said lid in spaced relation therefrom, and means connected to said retainer for moving said retainer and maintaining the same in either of a plurality of positions.

8. The combination with a journal box having a lid movably connected thereto, of a journal box packing retainer a link having one end pivotally connected to said lid and the other end pivotally supporting said retainer, and means for moving the retainer to one side of the center of said pivotalconnection of said link with the lid When said lid is opened and to the other side of the center when the lid is closed.

9. The combination with a journal box having a lid movably connected thereto, of a journal box retainer adapted to engage the journal box packing when the lid is closed, and means for throwing said retainer in a direction away from said packing immediately upon the opening of the lid.

10. The combination with a journal box having a lid movably connected thereto, of a journal box retainer adapted to engage only the journal box packing when the lid is closed, said retainer being pivotally connected to said lid by an interposed link and means for moving said retainer away from said packing when the lid is opened, said means'also serving to support the retainer in operative position. i

11. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivotally connected thereto, of a journal box retainer adapted to engage only the journal box packing when the lid is closed, and spring actuated means for moving said retainer in a direction away from said packing upon the initial opening movement of said lid, said means also serving to maintain the retainer in inoperative position.

12. The combination with a journal box having a lid movably connected thereto, of a journal box packing retainer, means for pivotally connecting said retainer to the lid, said means including a rigid link and means for throwing said retainer upwardly to a plane substantially coincident with the said pivotal connection.

13. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivotally connected thereto, of a journal box packing retainer, means for pivotally connecting said retainer to the lid, and means mounted on and movably connected to said lid for immediately swinging said retainer in a direction away from the journal box packing when the lid is opened.

14. The combination with a journal box having a lid pivotally connected thereto, of a journal box packing retainer, means for pivotally connecting said retainer to the lid, and means movably connected to said retainer for swinging said retainer toward said journal box packing when said lid is closed.

15. The combination with a journal box, of a lid pivotally connected thereto, of a journal box packing retainer a link pivotally connected to said retainer and to said lid, and means operable with the lid for moving said retainer in arcuate paths different from those followed by said lid.

16. The combination with a journal box, of a lid pivotally connected thereto, of a journal box packing retainer articulated means for connecting said retaining member and lid, and means movable independently of said lid for moving said retainer in an arcuate path different from that followed by said lid when being opened or closed.

17. The combination with a journal box having a lid movably connected thereto, of a journal box packing retainer, means movably connecting said retainer to the lid, means for supporting said retainer out of contact with the bottom wall of the journal box, and means including said supporting means and movable connection between said retainer and lid for causing the retainer to engage and press the packing along the bottom of said journal box.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

DONALD S. B'ARROWS. 

